Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Friends - Part II

Today I'll tell you about my other best friend, Liz. In 1974 before Rod and I were married, I sold Tupperware, and my manager gave me a party in the "country" that she didn't want to do. Liz was the hostess of that party and it was one of the best I ever did. Our friendship evolved from that one night. Liz had 5 kids, all older than mine. She and Ronnie married quite young, and had already been through some rough times job-wise. When Rod needed a job, Ronnie helped him to get into the mill where he worked as a machinist. When we were looking for property to build our house, they helped us find a suitable lot not too far from them. I have learned so much from Liz over the past 34 years. She taught me how to manage good, healthy meals on a very tight budget, taught me the importance of giving my children responsibilities as they grew, and showed me that I should be proud to be a stay-at-home mom and not feel belittled by those people who questioned "why I didn't work". The mill closed in 1982, and we went through 5 straight years where Rod never worked a day. During part of that time, he went back to school and got his degree. I could never have survived all that without Liz's friendship. Ron and Liz moved away when Ronnie found work elsewhere, and have sinced moved a couple more times. Now, they they're retired and spend summers in Ohio, and winters in Texas. I don't see her as often as I'd like, but we still seem to sense when the other needs a boost. Phone calls always seem to happen when they're needed. Liz got me started into the world of craft shows, she's always been a crafter. I started selling ceramics, and as I've progressed from ceramics to woodcrafts to quilting, so has Liz. When I was on bedrest with the twins, Liz would come one day each week and clean my house, do laundry and prepare a meal for my family. In exchange, she would do her laundry here since her well was weak. I've been blessed with two great friends. A relative once commented that I didn't seem to have many friends. I replied that when you have good friends, you don't need that many. And that's the truth!! So today, on Gratitude Tuesday, I'm thankful for my two best friends. I love you guys!! Have a good day. Linda